PFA Practical Guide to living with Dementia

Football chiefs have teamed up with The Sporting Memories Foundation to produce a guide to help former players diagnosed with dementia.The Professional Footballers' Associationhave produced the guide withThe Sporting Memories Foundationand researchers from theCentre for Dementia Research at Leeds Beckett University.

Gordon Taylor, CEO of the PFA said"It has been designed to give practical first steps and tips on living day to day with dementia."

May Tees, wife of the former Grimsby Town footballer Matt Teeswho lives with dementia and appeared on Alan Shearer's recent Football, Dementia and Me documentary, said: “The guide offers really good day-to-day advice on things that can help families living with someone that has dementia.

“The legal advice in particular is excellent and our power of attorneys are now being used which is great. The benefits that are out there and help being offered is excellent and lets new people who have just been diagnosed know what is available to them within the game.

“Newly diagnosed people don't know where to turn initially. They have the same information from Memory Clinics but it takes time to get your head round the diagnosis and all the legal obligations involved, so I hope the guide will really have a benefit in that area.

Our local Sporting Memories group is going from strength to strength and they have now started a second group because of the interest. Our group has a real mix of people and not everyone has memory problems. Most of the participants are there for the social aspect the group offers them, and as well as the five or six members who attend and are living with dementia, the interaction the group offers is fabulous and really helps.”

Co-founder of Sporting Memories Foundation, Tony Jameson-Allen, said: “We set up Sporting Memories back in 2011 to help older sports fans by tapping in to the rich sporting history and heritage we have in Britain. We’re a nation of sports fans, by using images, video and memorabilia the sessions we run assist the recall and sharing of memories. Promoting cognition, communication and triggering stories & discussion helps our group members to have fun, make friends and in many cases, reconnect with the sports they love.

“Football is of course one of the most popular topics and we work with a number of former players who are living with dementia. This led to connecting with the PFA who funded some of our early work with a number of community trusts of Premier League clubs. Working with researchers at Leeds Beckett University, we produced the guide on dementia for former players and their families to be able to have some practical advice and information.

“Dementia is incurable and there is currently no effective treatment. This makes it all the more important that there are interventions and activities developed and provided to help support people to live as well as possible with the disease. The weekly Sporting Memories groups provide a way of stimulating conversation and discussion that enables people to tell their stories, to remain connected to friends and to make new friendships all through the power of sport.”

FC United of Manchester and Altrincham team up for Sporting Memories
The National League North match between FC United of Manchester (FCUM) and Altrincham has been designated a Sporting Memories ‘#MemoriesMatch’ at Broadhurst Park on Saturday (February 9).

Related

Sporting Memories Network CIC board committed to meeting an enhanced level of governance, to achieve the standards required by Sport England to be accredited as reaching their Tier 2 Code of Sports Governance.

Most read

Steve Elliott celebrated his 60th birthday in September. A former professional footballer, Steve started his career at Nottingham Forest after signing apprentice forms with Brian Clough and later signed professional forms at the age of 18.

On the anniversary of Alan Shearer's groundbreaking BBC One documentary exploring the possible links between football and dementia, we look back on the progress made and launch a new campaign to support former players.

We work in partnership with organisations and community venues, including sports clubs, community hubs, sheltered housing, care homes and hospitals to run both Sporting Memories Clubs and one-to-one activities.

By sharing memories of sporting moments however big or small, people are instantly connected, reawakening thoughts feelings and times that would have otherwise been undiscovered all because of a passion for sport.

Sporting Memories Network has developed a compelling, dynamic and innovative approach to tackling the challenges of an ageing society. Our training, resources and project support are designed in partnership with our service users, carers and volunteers.

Sign up for our newsletter

The Sporting Memories Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Number 1154474) The Sporting Memories Foundation Scotland is a registered charity in Scotland (SC047268)Sporting Memories Network CIC is a Community Interest Company registered in England (07811301)Sporting Memories Network Scotland CIC is a Community Interest Company registered in Scotland (SC409470)